Tabla legend Zakir Hussain, who died at the age of 73 due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a San Francisco hospital, will be irreplaceable. The passing of the legendary artist has created a deep void in the world of music, especially in the Indian classical percussion domain, where he brought the tabla to world recognition.
Very recently, an ultra-rare video where Hussain was teaching cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar how to play the tabla went viral. More than 60 years of music under his belt, the contributions by this man had shaped not just Indian music but the global scene with collaborations of genres and artists. The sound of the tabla he so played has changed, transforming this percussion instrument with both Indian classical and world music, hence forming a new identity.
Watch the viral clip:
Rare footage of #Zakir_Hussain teaching @sachin_rt how to play #TablaLegend pic.twitter.com/oaahTMJQRf
— Sunandan Lele (@sunandanlele) December 17, 2024
Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1950, in Mumbai, India. He was the son of tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. His great talent was visible from his childhood days, nurtured by his father. He was able to merge Indian classical music with global styles and became famous worldwide. His work with other established jazz musicians–such as John McLaughlin, in the group Shakti, and Mickey Hart, for the Grammy-winning ‘Global Drum Project’–gave tabla a new set of ears. The latest India tour, ‘As We Speak’, which featured Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia, continued his decades-long pursuit of cross-cultural musical exchange.
The glorious career of Hussain earned him a number of accolades. He has received the Padma Vibhushan and four Grammy Awards. The three were at the 66th Grammy Awards this year. His contributions to music cannot be measured in any scale.
